Thursday, September 2, 2010

Review: Hide-A-Cover

While I love to look at deliciously smutty book covers, I'll admit that I'm embarassed to be seen with one in my hand. (I mentioned I wish I had fake book covers here in 2009.) I work in a professional building and ride a shuttle from my parking garage to my office every day. I'm always hiding my book while waiting at the shuttle stop in the mornings and afternoons. I've seen quilted cloth covers but they weren't exactly what I wanted, so I was thrilled when Hide-a-Cover contacted me to try their covers!

They have several selections, ranging from funny and obvious to ones that look like real books. I chose the "Decoding Binary" cover as a personal joke since I'm so terrible with computers:



They come in two sizes - small for Mass Market Paperbacks, and medium for Trade Paperback size. I received the medium size for review. You can use them for mass market paperbacks but it does look a little weird. Here's me putting the trade paperback into the cover - super easy!


The first trade paperback I put in worked pretty well but was just a bit too long to be totally covered... Honestly, this was my only complaint. I wish the large covers were about 1/2 inch longer. You can see how the edges stuck out past the paper cover a bit. I was able to bend the plastic cover so the entire book was still inside the cover, but the paper cover that hides the book didn't quite reach, and this was not a thick book:


You can kind of see the line on the left in this picture where I had to re-bend the plastic to fit the book:

I think they allowed for this to happen though, as there are two spots on the inside where you're supposed to slide the cover and thus it was able to fit.

Here's where I tried it with a MM Paperback. It's not as good - I'd like to try the smaller size cover for my smaller paperbacks. Here's pics of my MM paperback inside the medium cover:


One other plus I noted is that my covers stayed newer. I carry a book in my purse all the time and so the corners and edges get a bit worn. These covers helped with that.


Here is a sample of what they offer:



Pretty cute, right? I actually had someone approach me at lunch and ask if I was studying binary code! I love the idea behind these covers and will definitely use mine. I'll also order a smaller size for my regular-sized paperbacks too.

Here is their website, their prices are reasonable ($4.95/small and $5.95/medium) and they have several choices.


My rating:


This product was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

27 comments:

  1. I just got one too..I am going to go put it to the test. I think this is a cute idea...

    I got the Smut one of course...hehe

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  2. Lol, I would totally go for the human genome cover ;) Awesome idea cos yes sometimes when there is a half nekkid man on a cover I do try to hide it a bit

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  3. That is *such* an inspired idea! I will often set my reading habits by my train timetable. If I know I'll be catching the train, then I'll leave my trashier-looking novels for weekend reading (i.e.: Paul Quinn's books with half-naked Highlanders on the covers!). I know I am paranoid and care too much about what other people think... but I know that I judge people by what they read on the train! lol

    I love the 'This is not a trashy vampire romance novel' cover. Genius!

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  4. I love the Smut one. Me wants! It's so cute.

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  5. That is a cute idea! My aunt made herself one years ago. I used to think she was a little nuts, but now that I read smutty titles, I totally 'get' her. I don't ever go anywhere that would require me to cover my books -- although when the kids are a little older, it may be a good idea to hide my covers from them! lol

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  6. Pink and Smut = Leontine but I so want the trashy vampire too!! Normally I'm not for hiding the covers but this is really fun and perhaps will safe the covers from stains :)

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  7. Patti,

    That is wonderful. :) I love the trashy vampire one.

    M

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  8. They are cute but I'm all about being out and proud of my smut covers. Not that I read paper books much but when I do I figure if you don't like what I'm reading stop looking at me. LOL

    Although you seem to have found a way to pick up geeks, perhaps they could be a dating tool. Find a cover that attracts the kind of guy you're looking for "The Advanced Football Play Book by Mike Ditka" and you'll have the right kind of boys flocking to you. :-)

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  9. See, that's yet another reason why I love my Kindle. I can be on the train, reading erotica and no one has a clue. I used to use covers when I read paperbacks, but they never worked very well. They were always slipping off.

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  10. Those are hilarious. I need one 'cause hubs is getting a might to interested in what I'm reading. He always thinks if I'm reading smut then he's getting lucky. lol

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  11. Ohmygosh those are so funny. I need to get one. Not that I'm ever really embarassed about my covers but I'm always messing up my covers.

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  12. I love the idea of book covers!! Not only do I want to hide the covers of my books from prying public eyes, but there are books lying around (ok Not quite lying around) the house that I would hate for my kids to see. Not just the cover, but the title or the blurb or just to hide those two little words "Erotic" or "Spice"

    I have a cloth one that I love but it is too big for MM books, so I am definitely going to check this website out. Thanks!!

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  13. I have the "This is not a trashy vampire romance novel" one. I love it, it's very durable and makes me chuckle everytime I read the cover. =)

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  14. Not having covers that random strangers feel free to comment on is one of the things that I love about my ebook reader. But these look pretty cool for paperbacks.

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  15. Wa maybe I should buy one of those so I can shamelessly read at work o.0
    We are forbidden to read unless it's work related, I guess the human genome one would be profect!

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  16. I looooove that you got the DECODING BINARY one. HAHAHAHA! I have been dying to know if I could find a book cover forever, thank you for finding these! The covers on the books I love are just so ridiculously embarrassing sometimes to anyone who doesn't get it. lol Thanks Patti I'm going to buy some now.

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  17. I'm the same way Patti some of my erotic romance covers are ubber smutty ie hair that barley covers the girls nips or two guys practically nekkid. I need this cover!

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  18. These are so awesome! Thanks for sharing. I so want the smut one for when I read classics at University so my tutor would be shocked!
    Off to find out if they'll ship to the UK :)
    Going to add this to my Friday Finds now for tomorrow's post!

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  19. I've actually bought a book cover from Hide A Book and really like it. I do prefer the clothe (not the soft kind) but I do like this one as well.


    Stephanie G
    Paranormal Haven

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  20. What a great idea! I'm so tired of strangers commenting on my reading choice based on the cover. A book cover like this would mean I could read a romance in peace!

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  21. I love it! I used to feel that way when I would ride the metro into work. And I'm always hiding my covers when I'm reading books at home just so I don't have to hear yet another comment from my husband about my "p0rn books". LOL! I love the last cover. Hilarious!

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  22. Such a great idea! Great review! :)

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  23. These are cute! Especially the pink and the last one. :)
    But reading the smut on the ereader is still most effective against curious looks. ;)

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  24. I used to use the cloth covers until someone called me out on it. "What are you reading, a trashy romance?"

    LOL, I have one of these and had the same problem... a but of the real cover peaking through. Can't say I was happy about that.

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  25. You absolutely crack me up! Of course I do not hide my covers unless little small children are around, lmbo.... Soooo if I haddd to get one... it would be the smut one!!! Only cuz that would be true!!!!

    The hours are counting down!

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